


Perfect Disaster

by MajesticAnna



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Engagement, Established Relationship, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Love, M/M, Rating is for occasional swear words it's really pretty much gen, Suga is a disaster pls help him, Sweet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-05
Updated: 2018-10-05
Packaged: 2019-07-25 18:06:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,330
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16202813
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MajesticAnna/pseuds/MajesticAnna
Summary: Sugawara Koushi spends a lot of his life waiting.But now, he decides to take fate into his own hands.





	Perfect Disaster

  
In the midst of an average Tokyo park, a jogging trail winds itself through the greenery. People of all ages took to the trail for various activities, from their intense bike rides to their light strolls. The visitors enjoyed the beauty of the park’s path; the changing seasons offered beautiful landscapes to enrapture even the most cynical of visitors. Most people headed towards the pond at the bottom of the pathway to watch the sunset or feed the ducks swimming in the water. However, since they moved too fast through the intricate passage, they often missed the best the trail had to offer: a little bench, nestled in the foliage off the path, which gave the person a private view of the surrounding nature and pond below.

  
One patron, knowledgeable of this perfect spot, sat on the bench. A gorgeous man, his beauty only added to the picturesque scenery. The autumnal air stirred the falling foliage, a few leaves falling and dancing around the silver sheen of his hair. He brushed them away, and they continued their journey to join their brethren lining the trail.

  
To the less observant, the man mirrored the relaxed air conveyed by the undergrowth. His stiff spine, twitching hands, and shifting eyes, however, alluded to his current preoccupied thoughts. The man fiddled with the fabric of his pocket, a nervous tick of which he was unaware.

  
As his eyes scanned the beauty around him, he jumped at every sign of movement. His nerves would follow him until he reached the impending precipice of change.  
After all, he did not know whether his leap of faith would bring him the future he desired.

  
***

  
Sugawara Koushi had gotten used to waiting.

  
Point one: It had taken him longer than most to finish schooling. Juggling two jobs and a doctoral degree was a feat a majority of his peers could not fathom.

  
Point two: lines at the supermarket did not bother him. He could always look at his phone while the bored cashier bagged the old woman’s plethora of cat food.

  
Point three: waiting to hear feedback from his colleagues or students did not faze him. He knew he had other work to complete in the meantime, including grading work for his classes.

  
Point four: For his educational research, the more time he spent searching for information the better the potential he had of finding new knowledge. He had faith in his capabilities that he would find the needed knowledge in due time.

  
But, right now, Sugawara Koushi was tired of waiting.

  
6 years. 10 years. No, really, his whole life, Suga had waited. Waited for the moment when he could finally marry the love of his life.

  
Luckily, he had already found the person of his dreams in one Sawamura Daichi. The only thing he had been waiting on was the proposal.

  
He did not blame Daichi for not proposing sooner. They had both needed to focus on their schoolwork and jobs and becoming adults for a while. But, shouldn’t it have happened by now? They had talked about the future and spending their lives together, but they still hadn’t taken the next step.

  
In the nights when he felt most insecure, he wondered if this meant they weren’t actually ready for it, yet.

  
Agreeing to spend the rest of your life with someone made even the bravest of people a quivering mess. This bond entangled two souls in a web of promise, whether it ended in divorce or death. Suga took this kind of eternal commitment to heart. He always knew he would only marry if the person was right.

  
For some time, he had known that he wanted to make these promises to Daichi.

  
Now, at 28, he was a working professor, Daichi was flourishing in his surgical residency, and they had a stable income. Having lived together for many years, Suga was not worried about them needing to adjust to each other’s needs and lives. They were ready.

  
At least, he was.

  
Of course, Suga knew he could just get over all of the anxiety and ask Daichi himself. But, other than the stressful delay of schooling and training, he had two main reasons for not asking sooner. One: the small, glimmering possibility that Daichi might answer negatively stressed Suga to no end. He understood why most couples waited years before asking because, no matter how confident you’ll get the “yes” you’ve been waiting for, there’s always that niggling thought saying they could reject you.

  
Or, even worse, saying it’s not the right time to do so.

  
And two: a distant memory, one nestled in the deep recesses of his brain, somewhere between sleep and full-consciousness, had told him that Daichi had wanted to be the one to ask.

But Suga, for all his doubts and fears, decided to finally ask Daichi. To end his waiting, he needed one moment of bravery.

  
And he had thought petitioning his thesis was hard.

  
He had everything planned, from the seemingly randomness of the day to the places they would visit to ending at their special place where he would finally pop the question.

  
A lifetime of memories and love had led him to this point. He was scared, yes, but now that he had finally made the decision, excitement coursed through him.

  
Not only excitement, but euphoria.

  
Koushi had awoken the morning of his impending proposal with the nerves and anticipation he hadn’t felt since preparing to defend his dissertation. He eyed the mass of pillows next to him, a certain fondness at the sleeping mass of his (hopefully) future husband. Creeping out of their shared bed, Suga tiptoed into the kitchen so as not to wake his lover.

  
The smell of coffee reached his nose long before he had reached the dining area. Frowning, Suga entered the space and watched the man at the stove whistling as he cooked breakfast.

  
“Daichi, what are you doing up?”'

  
The man turned around, melting Suga’s heart with a warm smile. “Oh, I’m just cooking breakfast for the love of my life.”

  
Suga scoffed. “I didn’t know Yui was coming over.”

  
“Ha, ha. Your sense of humor is always so refreshing in the morning.”

  
Suga walked further into the kitchen, bumping Daichi with his hip. “Well, excuse me if I had plans to surprise you this morning, and you waking up early destroyed them.”

  
Daichi laughed deeply, the full-bodied sound tugging at Suga’s heartstrings. “Suga, it’s already 9am. I always get up before 7.”

  
Suga blanched, reaching to his pocket for his phone. He realized he had left it on his night stand and ran back to the room to retrieve it. After checking the time, he groaned, realizing he had slept in. Then, he slogged back to the kitchen, a pout forming on his lips. “My alarm didn’t go off.”

  
“Ah, Sleeping Beauty needs his rest. You know, some of us can actually wake up to our alarms instead of turning them off in our sleep.” Daichi chuckled, flipping a golden, evenly cooked pancake.

  
“I had good intentions! Now my great plan to woo you with my impeccable food has fallen apart.” Suga sighed dramatically, placing a hand over his head.

  
Daichi let out a short laugh. “If it means that much to you, come over here and help.” Suga’s spirits lifted instantly. Maybe he could make this short pit-fall into an amazing bonding experience. Rubbing his hands conspiratorially, he turned towards the stove to face his greatest enemy.

  
Many people may have guessed otherwise, but Suga’s cooking skills left much to be desired. He always tried his best but ended up making messes more often than not. One time he burned toast so badly he had to spend the rest of the hot summer day with the windows open to air out the foul scent. Daichi teased him for weeks on end about how he could still smell the distasteful aroma, even if it had long since dissipated. Though Suga took the teasing in stride, he secretly covered the room in air freshener in the following days to hide his shame at his failure.

  
But Suga was nothing if not determined. Whenever he had been bad at a task, he worked ten times harder to get better. Sure, he may not have a natural knack for some things, but his dedication usually paid off.

  
Keyword here being: usually.

  
So, after practicing his techniques in secret for many weeks, Suga was determined to make a nice breakfast and impress his handsome boyfriend in the process. All that stood between him and this dream was his own abilities.

  
Come on, Kou, he thought to himself. You’ve trained hard for this day. The only thing preventing you from this dream is a slight flip of a pancake. You can do it. You once faced off against the Iron Wall, and you survived. What’s a little problem like cooking ability mean anything to you?

  
With the adrenaline and positive thoughts hyping him up, Suga poured a little bit of the batter into the pan.

  
A quiet “ah” escaped his lips as he portioned a good amount of the batter into the pan. The mixture sizzled with the heated contact, and Suga’s mouth stretched into a small smile. Good. No disasters so far. Nothing left than to wait for the pancake to brown to a deep golden color. Piece of cake.

  
While Suga anxiously watched the pancake, Daichi moved around him, keeping a steady orbit. He padded through the kitchen in a practiced dance, the familiarity of his significant other’s body ingrained in his brain.

  
Suga kept poking the pancake, checking to see if the bottom had finished browning. Daichi clucked his tongue. “It will never finish if you keep messing with it. Patience, my dear.”

  
Suga stuck his tongue out at Daichi, and earned a huff of laughter for his actions.

  
As Daichi continued moving around the kitchen to prepare their breakfast, he hummed a happy tune. Suga followed the notes in his mind, enveloping himself in the lover’s warm voice. His deep bass warmed Suga to his core, fanning the flames in his heart. He’d never get tired of listening to the texture of his tones or the breadth of his arms or the strength in his thighs or the brightness of his smiles or the sound of his deep laughter or the…

  
“Suga, you might want to check on that.”

  
Suga looked down to the stove, and let out a yelp of surprise. While he had been daydreaming, the smell of burnt batter had wafted into the air. Hurrying to fix his mistake, Suga quickly flipped the pancake. Only, in his anxiety to rectify his work, he had misjudged the speed and distance, causing the newly turned pancake to collapse and splatter batter onto his hands. He let out a hiss of surprise and dropped the spatula, clutching his hand in pain.

  
Daichi was one step ahead of him. “Come here and run your hand under the faucet.”

  
Suga quickly moved to the sink, letting his hand fall under the blessed cool water. The pain in his hand receded, and he let his hand stay under the stream. He didn’t dare look at the skin to see if it had blistered, if the skin had turned a flaming red, if the pus would start dripping down his hand… his stomach turned over.

  
In the meantime, Daichi had finished his cooking preparations. He replaced Suga’s abandoned post and poured batter into the pan with ease.

  
“No!” Suga shouted.

  
Daichi started at the sound. “What?!”

  
Suga pulled his hand from beneath the stream, but winced when the air hit his skin, immediately returning it to the cool spray. “I’m supposed to cook you breakfast!”

  
Daichi chuckled. “Though I appreciate the sentiment, I think I can handle it on my own.” He flipped a pancake, not even breaking a sweat at the impressive feat he had just accomplished. “Besides, you’re hurt. Let me take care of you this time, okay?”  
  
Suga’s heart squeezed at his words. Daichi always knew how to butter him up to get what he wanted. Anyways, it’s not like Suga was making much progress in the cooking department. He should accept his loss and move on from there. There was plenty of time in the day to treat his lover, and Suga would finish the wonderful day with the most romantic proposal anyone had ever seen.

  
Daichi skillfully moved between the multiple dishes with practiced ease, a task with which he obviously excelled. Suga liked watching how comfortable Daichi was in the kitchen, but it still irked him that he couldn’t fix his loved one breakfast on a day when their whole life would change permanently. He wanted to be the one to treat Daichi, too.

  
Though, his caring personality was one of the things that had made Suga’s feelings of friendship grow into something deeper and stronger. From the time they had met in high school, Suga knew his kind, responsible attitude would have made him a great leader. Thus, his election into captainship of their volleyball team did not surprise Suga.

  
What did surprise him was Daichi appointing him as vice-captain. He often got involved in the mischief of the team, so having the responsibility given to him showed Daichi’s sense of trust in Suga making good decisions.

  
For the most part, he did live up to Daichi’s trust in him. However, it being him, he still got caught up in the antics of his more rambunctious teammates. And, you know, his own competitive nature. For example, the time he almost got Karasuno penalized for yelling at them to get their shit together when facing Shiratorizawa. Of course, the sissies had it coming, they really were a nervous wreck…

  
Reflecting on their old high school days, Suga couldn’t help but smile. His teammates, and more specifically, he and Daichi, had been the best of friends. It brought him happiness to think of all the memories they had shared together. The small flame he held for Daichi had formed in those bonding experiences, and it had only been cultivated the more he got to spend time with his best friends.  
His time in volleyball, and the friends he had made during it, would always hold a special place in his heart. He never would have found his love for Daichi without it.

  
“It’s all ready.”

  
Suga looked up. While he had been remembering the past, Daichi had finished the breakfast preparations, cooking an impressive spread. Warmth filled his heart at the beautiful display. He couldn’t wait to spend the rest of his life with this person.

  
Still, he could live in the moment and enjoy all that life had to offer in the meantime.

  
Suga turned off the stream of water, ever so slowly turning his hand over to look at the burn. He exhaled a sigh of relief. The burn wasn’t that bad. The initial redness had gone down significantly, and the pain had receded. The shock of the pain had probably hurt him more than the actual burn. It would heal quickly.

  
Daichi walked over to Suga, a towel thrown over his shoulder. “Here let me check.”

  
His careful, steady hands held Suga’s right one delicately, turning it over with a focused brow. Suga gazed unabashedly at his warm brown eyes, moving to study the angle of his cheekbones.  
“Hm. It looks okay, but we better put some ointment on it anyways. You don’t want it to scar.”

  
While Daichi left the room to get the first aid kit, Suga went about setting the table. It was the least he could do after Daichi did the majority of the work.

  
A few minutes passed, and Daichi returned with the kit, an unreadable expression on his face.

  
“Something wrong?” Suga asked.

  
Daichi shook his head. “Oh, sorry, just got distracted by a work email.” He opened the kit to search for the burn ointment, his thoughtful expression puzzling Suga. After a pause, he continued, saying, “A patient is having issues with the side effects to his post-surgery medication, so I’ll need to readjust them.”

  
Suga accepted Daichi’s excuse, but he figured there was something more. Readjusting medication was a common reoccurrence and wouldn’t leave a talented doctor like Daichi stressed. He shrugged. Daichi would tell him more if the problem continued to bother him.

  
Finally retrieving the ointment, Daichi put a little on his fingertips. He rubbed the gel between his fingers to warm it, and then gently took Suga’s hand in his own to apply the ointment.  
“You need to be more careful, Koushi,” Daichi said, his soft voice carrying a touch of lecture in it.

  
Suga sighed. “I was being careful. I just got distracted…”

  
“By what?”

  
Well, Suga couldn’t very well tell Daichi that he got lost in thinking of all the things he loved about his future husband. It might go to his head, and Suga couldn’t let that happen. On the other hand, Suga smirked, maybe he could have a little fun.

  
“Oh, I was just thinking about your rippling thighs and how I wanted them to crush me.”

  
Daichi choked, sputtering into heavy guffaws of laughter. He wheezed and had to stop the application of Suga’s ointment as the laughter took control of his body. Suga raised an eyebrow at the sight of Daichi falling victim to one of his jokes, trying to smother the quirk in his own mouth.

  
Finally calming down and catching his breath, Daichi wiped the tears forming in his eyes. “You always know how to make me laugh.”

  
“It’s the truth!” Suga said indignantly. “Maybe you should stop being so handsome all the damn time so the rest of us can focus for once.”

  
Daichi let out a few leftover chuckles. “I’m so very sorry that my dashingly good looks deterred you from the very, very strenuous task of flipping pancakes.”

  
“You should be,” Suga grumbled. They couldn’t all be wizards in the kitchen.

  
Daichi shook his head, smiling at his lover’s antics. He applied a small bandage to Suga’s hands, then crumbled up the trash. “Well, you should be good now. Want to eat?”

  
“Sure.”

  
They each took their plates from the table to the kitchen to retrieve their food. After assembling their breakfast, they returned to the dining area, sitting across from one another.

  
As they ate their food, they talked about their previous work week. Daichi recounted a thrilling surgery he had performed, making sure to leave out the more gruesome details for Suga’s sake. Daichi asked whether Suga had finally gotten the results from his latest research sample, which Suga replied he was still “waiting on them”. Daichi chuckled, knowing all about the struggles of waiting for data analysis. Suga rolled his eyes, murmuring he was sick of waiting.

  
Suga brought up the assignments he had received from his students, and even told Daichi about a specific student’s work with which he had been impressed. He told him the analysis was one of the best he’d seen, and he was proud of the student’s improvement throughout the semester. Daichi said it must have meant they had learned something from a good teacher. Suga blushed.  
These small moments of their relationship, when they simply enjoyed each other’s presence, Suga enjoyed the most.

  
After a while, Suga tried to casually ask the question that had been on his mind all morning.

  
Well, one of them.

  
“Any plans for today?”

  
Placing his fork down, Daichi squinted at him carefully. “Why?”

  
“Oh, no reason.” Suga waved his hand nonchalantly. “I just have some ideas of how to spend the day.”

  
Daichi’s face screwed up in thought. “Hmm, I was planning to do some work today, responding to a few patients, reviewing some materials for the exam…”

  
Suga’s heart dropped to the bottom of his stomach. Here his plan had fallen apart before it had even begun. No! It had to be today! Suga was bad at keeping secrets and he couldn’t wait any longer. Plus it was a special day. It must be today.

  
Eyeing his boyfriend’s expression, Daichi chewed his lip, pondering. “Well, I can always do my work tomorrow.”

  
Suga’s mood suddenly shifted. “Awesome!”

  
“Why are you so excited?” Daichi asked.

  
“Because I get to spend the day with my wonderful boyfriend!” Suga wiggled a little dance to show his happiness.

  
Daichi smiled. Then, he stood up, taking a look at his watch. “I actually have to run an errand beforehand, can we meet someplace?”

  
“Well, why don’t I go with you? We can do it together!”

  
Daichi froze, but his blank gaze was quickly replaced by a warm grin. “I wish you could come, but it’s really a…. personal affair.” He took Suga’s plate from him and brought their dishes to the kitchen.

  
Suga’s eyes narrowed at his lover’s retreating figure. “What do you mean by that?”

  
“Oh, I just have to—see a colleague!” He called back.

  
“On a Saturday?”

  
“Yes, it’s an urgent matter.”

  
“Well, maybe I could—“ Suga stopped himself. He still had a few preparations to check over, so it might be better if they met up later.

  
Suga walked into the kitchen, and watched Daichi clean their dishes. “Do you want some help?”

  
“No, it’s okay.” Daichi turned around and offered him a smile. “Go ahead without me.”

  
“Okay.” Suga walked to their shared bedroom and went about getting ready for their day together.

  
Right as he was about to leave the room, he remembered something he had forgotten.

  
“Oh, don’t want to leave this behind. That would be embarrassing.”

  
He picked up the tiny box hidden under a pile of clothes on his dresser. Suga did the laundry most of the time so Daichi would never find it. He chuckled at his own cleverness at the object’s hiding place.  
Then, pocketing the box, he left the room, putting on his shoes at the door.

  
“I guess I’ll see you later?” Suga called to Daichi.

  
“Bye, honey! Text me where you want to meet.”

  
Suga left, closing the door behind him.

  
***

  
The brisk autumnal air felt nice on his skin, but the apartment building’s warmth still welcomed him.

  
Suga exited the elevator, crossing the hall. He stood in front of the door with a photo tacked on the front of it.

  
“I’m here,” Suga said into his phone.

  
“Coming, Suga-san!” came a bright voice over the line.

  
A second later, the door opened to Suga’s dear friend, glistening sweat dripping down his shaved head.

  
“Suga-san!” Tanaka tried to grab Suga into a hug, but Suga firmly held him at arm’s length.

  
“You can hug me after you shower.”

  
Tanaka stopped struggling against Suga’s grip and grumbled. “You haven’t changed, Mama Suga.”

  
Suga chuckled. “I have to keep good watch over all my problem children.” He moved around Tanaka into the apartment. “Plus, I would prefer to stay clean when I propose to Daichi.”  
“Shh!” Tanaka exclaimed.

  
“What?” Suga sat down on Tanaka’s couch.

  
Tanaka looked around carefully, before slowly closing his apartment door. “You don’t know who could be listening in. Someone could be spying, find out your plan and tell Daichi!”

  
Suga laughed. “I highly doubt anyone of importance would follow me around to see what I’m up to.”

  
“You never know!” Tanaka used his fingers to look between the slats in his window. “They could be watching right now.”

  
“Why are you so on edge?” Suga asked.

  
“Isn’t it obvious?!” Tanaka said. “One of my best friends is going to propose today.” He sighed and laid down on the other end of the couch. “And I suck at keeping secrets!”

  
Suga glared at him. “You better not tell anyone else.”

  
Tanaka groaned dramatically, covering his eyes with his hands. “I won’t! But it’s still hard. It’s like the nerves are eating me alive from the inside.”

  
“How do you think I feel?” Suga asked, eyebrows raised.

  
Tanaka looked out from behind his hands, a chagrined expression on his face. “Sorry.”

  
Suga let out a sigh. “It’s okay.”

  
Tanaka moved into a more upright position. “Don’t worry about it. He loves you. Why wouldn’t he say yes?”

  
Suga fiddled with his hands. “Yeah, but that doesn’t make me less nervous.” He sighed. “He could still say no. And… what if it’s not as perfect as he’s dreaming of?”

  
Tanaka leaned forward, patting Suga’s hands. “It doesn’t matter if it’s perfect. As long as it’s with you, he won’t care if you mess up or if something goes wrong.” He stood up, walking into the kitchen. “All that matters is that you are the one asking.”

  
A few of the butterflies lifted from his stomach. “Thanks, Tanaka.”

  
“No problem.”

  
Suga followed Tanaka into the kitchen. “You really should shower, though. You smell.”

  
Tanaka threw a dish rag at Suga’s face. “Be grateful I’m trying to be a good host.”

  
Suga laughed. “Go get cleaned up and I’ll finish drying these,” motioning to the cups in the sink.

  
Tanaka snapped his hands into finger guns. “Neato, torpedo.” He rushed off in a sprint, making Suga smile.

  
Tanaka had been a friend of Suga’s since high school. On the same volleyball team and only a year of difference between them, they enjoyed each other’s company. Tanaka was energetic and boisterous by nature, which brought out Suga’s own silly side. Suga often got caught up in various mischievous activities with him, along with Noya, though Suga made sure to crack down when they were too much trouble.

  
Suga laughed at all the times he caught the boys fawning over Shimizu-san. They never pushed it too far, but they did thoroughly adore their team manager, sometimes a little too much. Suga admits to having even gotten caught up in her beauty a few times, especially since she was such a stoic goddess.

  
He remembered their teamwork on the court and all the times he had entrusted Tanaka with his set. They had gotten to know each other’s idiosyncrasies and techniques, fluidly evolving into a stronger team than before.

  
The best times he had spent with Tanaka, however, were the ones he had spent off the court: the special, normal moments in between it all. The loud, team dinners at Suga’s house, the sleepovers spent staying up late talking about nothing, and walking back from practice, stopping at Sakanoshita for a quick drink.

   
The little moments of friendship, the ones melded together over years spent with one another, until they become a sea of repeated memories, were the ones Suga loved the most.

  
So, it was only fitting that Tanaka was one of the few to know about his proposal. Suga even made him swear not to tell Noya, his best friend. Noya had quite the loudmouth, even bigger than Tanaka’s. But Tanaka was the only one he could entrust this specific task to, and he knew the former spiker wouldn’t let his vice-captain down.

  
Tanaka entered the kitchen, rubbing his shaven head with a towel. “Thanks for waiting.”

  
“No problem.” Suga finished drying the last cup and set it down on the counter. “Is everything ready for tonight?”

  
“All good to go.” Tanaka clapped his hands together. “Everyone just thinks we’re getting together for a drink.”

  
“Perfect! The table is reserved for us?”

  
“Yes, Suga-san, I have it covered. Don’t worry.” Tanaka pushed Suga away from the counter and towards the door. “All you have to do is ask the question so we have something to celebrate.”

  
“Right. That’s all I have to do.” It was a lot harder than he made it appear.

  
“Now, get going. Daichi’s probably waiting on you.”

  
Suga checked his phone. “Oh yeah, he says he’s on his way to the café.”

  
“Go get ‘em, tiger.” Tanaka smirked.

  
“Lame.” Suga opened the door and started to walk through it before a hand dragged him back.

  
“Wait!” Tanaka enveloped him in a bear hug. “I still have to get my hug. I showered for this!”

  
Suga laughed, patting his arm. “Are you satisfied?”

  
“Yes.” Tanaka squeezed tightly, before pulling away. “Good luck out there.”

  
“Thanks.” Suga smiled, walking away. “I’m ready.”

  
He really was.

  
***

  
Suga entered the café a little before Daichi, finding their usual booth with ease. He waited for a few minutes until he saw his boyfriend making his way towards him.

  
“Ready to order?” Daichi asked, reaching the table.

  
“Yes!”

  
They went up to the counter and waited in line, though they already knew what they wanted.

  
“It’s your turn to pick the pastry, right, Daichi?”

  
Daichi nodded. “I’m not too hungry, though. We had a big breakfast.”

  
“Hmm, that’s right.” Suga acquiesced. “I still like sharing, though.”

  
They got up to the counter and Suga lit up at the sight of the familiar cashier.

  
“Tsukishima! I didn’t know you were working today!”

  
The cashier sighed. “Well, I have to pay off my student debt somehow, Suga-sensei.”

  
“I know all about that, Tsukki.” Suga laughed. “And, you don’t have to call me sensei outside of class.”

  
Tsukki smirked. “Would you prefer it if I called you Suga-chan?”

  
Daichi stifled a laugh behind his hand. Suga glared at Tsukki, before giving Daichi the same treatment. “Not if you want to be docked points for disrespecting your professor.”

  
“Okay, okay.” Tsukishima held up his hands in surrender. “You were fine letting me call you that back in our hometown.”

  
“That’s because we were family friends. Now, you’re my student.” Suga nodded his head, trying to give off an air of authority. “But, since we have been friends for so long, you can use –kun or –san outside of class.”

  
“Thanks, Suga-san,” Tsukki drawled. “So, are you going to lecture me all day or are you going to order something? People are waiting.”

  
Suga looked behind him, staring at the disgruntled customers who had been waiting for Suga to finish ordering. He waved an apology, before turning forward. “I’ll have a small coffee with no cream, and 4 sugars.”

  
Tsukki eyed him, but entered the information into the computer.

  
“What? I have a sweet tooth.”

  
Turning to Daichi, Tsukki asked, “And you?”

  
“A black coffee, and a cinnamon roll to share.”

  
Tsukki took down his order, then said, “Sorry, we don’t have any cinnamon rolls today.”

  
Suga’s eyes widened. “Huh?”

  
“We don’t have any today.”

 

Shrugging, Suga said, “Okay, we’ll take a slice of coffee cake, then.”

  
Pushing up his glasses, Tsukki continued. “Yeah, the baker is sick, so we’re out of pastries today.” He pointed to a small sign in front of the register which apologized for the inconvenience.

  
“Oh, alright.” Suga was slightly irked, but it wasn’t a big deal. He just enjoyed sharing food with Daichi, and he loved the cinnamon roll’s soft, sticky glaze melting so nicely on his tongue. It was a shame he would have to miss out on that today. “Then, that’s all for today.”

  
Tsukki totaled out their order, and then said, “We’ll have your drinks ready soon.”

  
Daichi and Suga thanked Tsukki, returning to their seats on the other side of the café. The booth, nestled away from the center of the crowd but not leaving them in isolation, exuded warmth and comfort, a soft blanket of familiarity. They sat close to each other in the rounded seating area, falling back into the habits of their younger days.

  
Suga had often met Daichi for dates here when they had first started dating, and now the place was one of their favorite spots to spend time together. From study dates to quick meet-ups in between classes, it had been a convenient place for two broke-ass college students to spend time falling in love with each other. Nowadays, they kept the tradition up for nostalgia’s sake.

  
One day, Suga had suggested sharing a pastry together, and they had enjoyed the cold morning dissolving the heat of the fresh cinnamon roll on their tongues. Suga still remembered how sweet Daichi’s lips had tasted afterwards.

  
“What are you thinking about?”

  
Suga turned to him. “What?”

  
Daichi smiled softly. “You’ve been distracted a lot this morning. Are you okay?”

  
“Yeah, I’m fine.” Suga laughed. “Just feeling slightly nostalgic.”

  
“Ah,” Daichi said. “I can understand the sentiment.”

  
“Yeah.” Suga played with the ends of his sleeves. “So, how was your meeting with your colleague?”

  
“Hm? Oh,” Daichi took off his jacket and laid it next to him. “It went well. He needed some updates on a patient’s stats, so I had to look through my files to find the information.”  
Suga scrunched his eyebrows together. “Couldn’t a nurse have helped him?”

  
Daichi shook his head. “They needed my password for access.”

  
“Ah.”

  
“What did you do before coming here?”

  
Suga flinched a little at the question, but played it off as a scratch to his back. “I went shopping.”

  
Daichi looked around the table. “No shopping bags?”

  
Cursing the stupid lie, Suga said, “Nope.”

  
“Hm. You always buy something when shopping…”

  
“I didn’t see anything I liked.”

  
“You once bought a novelty t-shirt because it was ‘the ugliest thing you’ve ever seen.’”

  
“Well, everything today was mediocre. Nothing too great, but nothing too bad either.”

  
“You had quite a bit of time to shop… nothing caught your eye?”

  
“Nope.”

  
“Huh.”

  
“Yup.” Suga said, popping the p.

  
A silence settled between them, a quiet battle of wits to catch the liar in his trap.

  
Squinting his eyes a little, Daichi tapped his fingers on the table. “So, how’s Tsukki doing in your class?”

  
Suga relaxed at the change of subject. “Very well. You know that paper I was impressed with?”

  
“Yeah?”

  
“He wrote it.” Daichi raised his eyebrows, and Suga huffed a small laugh. “Yeah, Tsukki’s work has always been good, but in this paper, I felt more emotion in his work. Instead of just aiming for a passing grade, this time it felt like he actually cared.”

  
Daichi smiled. “What was the assignment on?”

  
“Oh, the students got to choose their book to write a paper on.” Suga crossed his legs beneath the table. “He chose _Jurassic Park_.”

  
Chuckling, Daichi reached forward for Suga’s hand. “He always did love that book.”

  
Suga laughed and nodded in agreement. “Some of the other students didn’t do so well, though.”

  
“Like who?”

  
“Hello!”

  
A bright young man bouncing with excitement stood before the two men, holding their coffees in his hands.

  
Suga smiled at the boy. “Hello, Hinata. I didn’t know you worked here!”

  
Hinata’s face beamed. “I just started a few days ago! Tsukki’s training me.”

 

Daichi’s mouth struggled to stay still as he said, “I imagine he enjoys that a lot.” Suga had a harder time staying silent so he hid his giggle as a cough.

  
Hinata placed their mugs on the table, and sighed. “Stingyshima is a terrible instructor. He calls me a moron and expects me to know everything so fast!”

  
“That sounds like Tsukki.” Suga said.

  
“I’m sure you’ll get the hang of everything soon.” Daichi graced Hinata with a warm smile, taking a sip of his coffee.

  
Hinata returned the grin with one of his own. “Thanks, Stranger-san!”

  
“Of course, you two haven’t met. Hinata, this is my boyfriend, Sawamura Daichi. Daichi, this is one of my students, Hinata Shouyou.”  
  
“Nice to meet you, Hinata-kun.”

  
Hinata’s mouth dropped comically, and he gazed at their entwined hands as if just noticing them for the first time. “Boyfriend?!”

  
“Yes?” Suga said, bringing his coffee to his lips. “Is there a problem?”

  
“Oh, no, no problem, sensei,” Hinata blushed. “It’s just—”

“Yes?”

  
“Well,” Hinata fiddled with his hands. “It’s just—everyone in the seminar thought you and Misaki-sensei were together!”

  
Suga choked, sputtering into his coffee. He coughed into his elbow, his body rejecting the drink from his system. Daichi patted his back to help him recover, and Hinata offered to get him some water. Suga waved him off, finally catching his breath.

  
Hinata looked absolutely mortified. “Sorry, sensei! I didn’t mean to offend you with that rumor!”

 

Suga shook his head. “No, that’s fine, people have been saying that forever. It’s—Hinata did you make this coffee?”

  
The boy’s face brightened. “Yeah, do you like it?”

  
Suga raised his eyebrows. “Well, typically, I like my coffee less…”

  
“Less?”

  
“… salty.” Suga wiped his mouth on a napkin from Daichi.

  
“Salty? Why would it taste—“ Hinata’s eyes expanded to encapsulate the moon. “Oh no!”

  
“HINATA!”

  
Daichi and Suga turned towards the raised voice coming from the back of the café.

  
“That’s my manager.” Hinata gulped. “I’m fired.”

  
Suga tried to make amends. “It’s okay, Hinata—I’m sure people make this mistake often—”

  
Tsukki came towards them, then, saying, “Washijou-san wants to see you.”

  
Hinata sent up a silent prayer. “Have mercy.” Robotically, he turned on his heel and walked forward, towards his impending doom.

  
Tsukki looked after him. “What kind of idiot mixes up a salt shaker and a sugar dispenser? More than once?”

  
Suga watched the retreating figure with regret. Daichi patted his hand consolingly.

  
“Do you want me to fix your drink?” Tsukki asked, motioning to Suga’s drink.

  
“No, it’s fine.” Suga stood, moving around to exit the booth. “We have somewhere to be.”

  
Catching on, Daichi placed his drink down and followed Suga out of the booth. “Thank you, Tsukki. We’ll be seeing you soon.”

  
“Okay,” Tsukki said. “I guess I’ll see you toni—”

  
He cut off at Suga’s motioning to “zip it”. Daichi scrunched his eyebrows in confusion.

  
Tsukki recovered. “Right. I’ll see you soon.”

  
Suga pushed Daichi towards the door, opening it and stepping through. “Bye Tsukki!”

  
Tsukki waved. “Bye, Suga-chan.”

  
His retort was cut off by the sound of the door slamming in his face. Tsukki’s dry chuckle echoed around the café.

  
***

  
The day had started out rough but Suga was determined to make sure the rest of it went smoothly. He had been planning this day for a long time, and he needed it to go perfectly.

  
A few minor setbacks wouldn’t deter him from this dream.

***

  
“Closed?!”

  
The apathetic ticket attendant seemed to not understand the disaster that was unfolding in front of her very eyes.

  
“Yes, the planetarium is closed, today, sir.” She pointed at the sign on the window in front of Suga and Daichi, telling the patrons the status of the center.

  
“But,” Suga grasped the air for some kind of purchase. “But—there are people going in!”

  
People around them drifted into the planetarium, ignoring the line clearly marked to purchase entrance into the building.

  
The attendant sighed. “Yes, there’s a special event going on today.”

  
“But!” Daichi gently pulled on Suga’s arm, but he shrugged it off. “But—I checked online. There’s not supposed to be an event going on today.”

  
Tired of repeating the same information, the woman rolled her eyes. “Yes, it was a last minute cancellation. They had to switch venues, so now the planetarium is closed.”

  
“Are you sure they won’t be reopening later today?” Suga asked, desperate.

  
“No.”

  
“But—”

  
“Sir, I’m sorry for the inconvenience, but we are closed. There’s nothing I can do.” She reached above her head to grab hold of a black screen. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to go make sure my co-worker doesn’t mess up escorting the patrons to the wrong room.” She slammed the screen down, blocking herself from the two men’s view.

  
Suga groaned, smacking the glass with his hand. He leaned his head against the window, sighing in defeat. “Well, that was a waste of time.”

  
“I wouldn’t call it at waste. I quite enjoyed you bickering with the staff.” Daichi smoothed Suga’s back in slow circles. “I didn’t think you’d ever evolve into an entitled middle-aged woman so soon, but I did find the performance entertaining.”

  
Suga raised his head, and pushed away from his boyfriend’s arm. “Shut up.”

  
Daichi chuckled.

  
Suga placed his head back against the glass and said, “Let me ruminate in my anger for a minute, okay?”

  
“Okay.” Daichi said, shifting to lean against the ticketing stand.

  
A silence stretched between them. Hours or minutes could have passed, as the nicely dressed people continued to flow through the doors surrounding them. They whispered and laughed, enjoying the prospect of their upcoming event. Sophistication dripped from their bodies, swaying carefully in an organized step towards the doors. Still, the two men stood there, watching it all happen.

  
Eventually, Suga shifted, turning towards Daichi. “I’m sorry.”

  
Daichi shook his head. “Why were you so upset?”

  
“I don’t know.” Suga said. “This day isn’t going how I planned.” He kicked at the ground. “From breakfast to the café to now—”

  
“I’m having a wonderful time.” Daichi said.

  
Suga sighed. Gesturing to the planetarium, he said, “I just wanted to see the stars with you.”

  
Daichi shifted closer, tucking a piece of Suga’s hair behind his ear. “I always see stars when I’m with you.”

  
A beat of breath passed, and Suga’s eyes gleamed. “Gross.”

  
Daichi laughed. “Sorry, I’m a sap.”

  
“And I love you, anyway.” Suga reached forward and placed a small, chaste kiss on his cheek.

  
“And I love you.” Daichi said, placing a kiss of his own on Suga’s lips. Pulling away he said, “Okay, let’s move along. What’s next on our agenda, captain?”

  
Suga smiled, taking his hand. If it was with him, it didn’t matter what happened.

  
***

  
On most occasions, Suga praised himself on his foresight. In college, he planned his papers way in advance, ticking off his advancement through the work day-by-day. Accomplishing long-term tasks took immense preparation, and he excelled at getting work done ahead of schedule. Even as a TA and eventual professor, he graded papers in a timely manner, getting the grades in before students had the time to ask for them.

  
Today, however, Suga’s foresight had failed him.

  
Suga had always been slightly squeamish. Whenever Daichi had an interesting surgery he wanted to share, he always left out the, as Suga called it, “grossest” details in order to ensure Suga didn’t get sick. In high school, he had to rely on the managers to take care of bloody noses, knee scrapes, ankle sprains, or knocked out teeth. Suga couldn’t be trusted to have a stable stomach while blotting up blood, unless it was his own.

  
So why, in the ever loving fuck, did he think going to a medical museum was a good idea?

  
Not only was the place crowded, but the exhibits were so explicitly detailed he was sure it would make anyone squirm in discomfort.

  
“Wow, isn’t this amazing?”

  
Well, anyone who wasn’t completely insane.

  
Daichi looked on the exhibits with wonder in his eyes. He pulled Suga through the museum displays faster than he ever moved on the court, excitedly explaining the importance of this discovery or the way that disease functioned. From his descriptions of the many different ways people have gruesomely died, Suga would be surprised if he found any way to sleep that night.

  
Really, Daichi spoke about the different subjects so thoroughly, Suga wondered if he had written any of the title cards placed strategically throughout the rooms. Well, he was training to become a pediatric surgeon. It made sense that he was in his element; a jigsaw piece clicking into place.

  
They were in a section aptly named “Abnormal Tumors”, showcasing the many, many, many ways people can grow anomalies in their bodies.

  
“…and my attending said he once removed these huge polyps from this guy’s bladder, and the guy had no clue they were there! He asked the man, ‘didn’t you feel any pain when you urinated? Or see any blood?’ and the guy said, ‘isn’t that normal?’” Daichi laughed, gesticulating widely. “Can you believe it?”

  
Suga was glad his boyfriend was having so much fun, since he was about five seconds from running to the nearest bathroom to puke his guts out.

  
“Hey, are you okay?” Daichi asked, concern etched on his face. “You look kinda pale.”

  
Suga waved him off. “I’m just going to go the bathroom real quick. I’ll meet you back here?”

  
Daichi nodded. “Okay. I’ll wait here.”

  
Suga went forward through the exhibit, trying to find the nearest bathroom.

  
He searched fruitlessly, so he moved back the way they had come, having seen a bathroom (or escape route) on the way to the tumor displays.

  
Spying the entrance to the bathroom, he quickly slipped inside, trying to avoid staring at the various exhibits that had caused his nausea in the first place.

  
Relaxation flowed into his body when he got inside the large room, and some of the tension in his muscles dissipated. Taking a deep breath, he walked to the sinks opposite him. He splashed water on his face, trying to calm the raging war in his stomach. Taking a towel from the dispenser, he dried his face and looked into his eyes reflecting in the mirror.

  
He did look a little pale. But, on the whole, he thought he looked okay. Definitely not as nervous as he should be.

  
Shit.

  
The reminder of his impending proposal kicked his anxiety into a higher gear. Suga breathed deeply, trying to quell the loud “what ifs” echoing in his head. So what if he said no? Daichi would let him down easy. They could still date even if he rejected him. They could still spend their lives together—why was he making such a big deal out of it anyways? Marriage was just a social construct anyways—it didn’t matter.

  
He paused his train of thought.

  
_I can’t wait to ask you to spend forever with me._

  
Words whispered somewhere between waking and sleep.

  
Marriage. For some reason, it did matter. To him.

  
He wanted to tell the world how much he loved Daichi. In front of his friends and family, he wanted to proclaim how much he loved, cared for, cherished, and adored his wonderful partner. From all the times they talked late into the night, not caring what time they slept; to the ones spent quietly walking hand-and-hand through the streets, content to let the noise flow over them; to the ones when they laughed hysterically at something stupid the other said, tears brimming in their eyes; Suga wanted everyone, and especially Daichi, to know he wanted to experience those special times with Daichi over, over, and over again.

  
He wanted each breath he took to take him one step closer into Daichi’s heart. Suga may have the key, but he wanted to spend the rest of his life learning the whole of its chambers intimately.  
He could have all of that without marriage, but the vows he would make meant promising his heart to Daichi, and taking Daichi’s in return. A ring didn’t hold much weight, but the actions and words accompanying it did.

  
Reaching into his pocket, Suga pulled out the box with the ring inlaid in the felt; a silver band inlaid with a small diamond, fitting for Daichi’s simple tastes.

  
Suga breathed deeply, letting his nerves go.

  
He pocketed the box, and left the bathroom, retracing his steps to the location where he had last seen Daichi.

  
Looking around the exhibit, he could not find him, until he spotted a broad-shouldered man round the corner. Suga followed him carefully, and spotted his boyfriend’s predicament right away. He was bent over talking to a group of women, gesturing to them widely.

  
“I should really get back to the front of this section, I told him I’d wait there.”

  
“We’ll help you find him Daichi-san!” A woman tried to pat his shoulder reassuringly, but it looked more like a child hanging onto the arm of a much larger adult.

  
“I saw a semi-attractive man go this way,” one of the others in the group said, motioning Daichi in the opposite direction of Suga’s current position.

  
“No, no.” Daichi shook his head in exasperation. “You would know it if you saw him. He has the softest hair you’ve ever seen. Like, so soft. And his eyes! He has these kind, warm eyes that light up whenever he talks about literature or his friends. Oh! And his eyebrows, his eyebrows arch so wonderfully when he’s waiting to see if you got his joke—and—and—” Daichi stopped talking, covering his face with his hands. “And none of these details will help you find him.”

  
The women giggled happily. “Looks like someone’s in love.”

  
Daichi sighed. “You have no idea.”

  
Maybe Suga really was worrying for nothing. He stepped around the corner to face the group.

  
“Hello!”

  
“Suga!” Daichi’s face relaxed in relief, and he pulled Suga into a hug. “I couldn’t find you anywhere!”

  
“I told you I was going to the bathroom.” Suga’s voice was muffled by Daichi’s shirt.

  
“Yeah, but I saw you move the other way and it was taking a while.” He buried his face in Suga’s hair.

  
“Sometimes you can be such a worrywart.” Suga laughed. “You could’ve texted me, y’know.”

  
Daichi paused. “Yes. That. Why didn’t I think of that?”

  
Suga chuckled. “Good to know the smart surgeon can make silly mistakes like the rest of us.”

  
“His hair does look really soft.”

  
Suga and Daichi turned towards the group of women they had forgotten were watching. They examined his hair with intensity.

  
“Uh, thanks?” Suga said.

  
The two men laughed in unison, a pair of individuals who flowed even better in tandem.

  
***

  
When they arrived at the cultural festival, the booths were already being packed up.

  
“What?”

  
Suga checked his phone. It was still early enough for the festival to be taking place. He looked up the website on his phone, then cursed under his breath.

  
“What’s going on?” Daichi asked.

  
“I got the times wrong. The festival goes later in the summer, not during the fall.” Suga sighed. “Another failure on my part.”

  
“Suga, it’s fine. We can just go get dinner instead.” Daichi took Suga’s hand and placed a soft kiss on it.

  
“I’m sorry today has kinda sucked.”

  
Daichi laughed softly. “I know we’ve had our setbacks, but I am still having a good time. The medical museum was awesome!”

  
Suga grimaced, not wanting to remember the disgusting exhibits or his near breakdown in the bathroom. “Yeah. Great.”

  
Smiling, Daichi pulled Suga forward gently, encouraging him to walk. Then, he swung their entwined hands back and forth, reaching as high and as low as their arms would let him. He kept switching the speed and angle of their arcs so Suga could hardly keep up with him. Surrounded by his partner’s childlike glee, Suga couldn’t stifle his smile.

  
“How do you always find a way to make me feel better?” Suga asked.

  
Daichi shrugged. “I guess, I just keep trying until it works?”

  
Suga shook his head. “Well, I hope you don’t get tired of me in the meantime.”

  
“I never would. You’re too interesting.”

  
The two men traversed the park, reaching the park’s entrance quickly. They scanned the street for open restaurants, but most were at full capacity. The few they approached turned them away or told them they would have to wait a few hours. It seemed everyone was out in Tokyo that night.

  
They finally had to settle with eating at a fast food restaurant, the greasy tables contrasting with their nice attire.

  
“Well.” Daichi said, placing his wrapper down. “I will admit this burger was less than spectacular.”

  
Suga laughed darkly. “Finally admitting defeat?”

  
“Never!” Daichi looked at his phone. “You said we still have our last spot to get to, right? We can end this day in high spirits.”

  
Suga rubbed his forehead with his hand.“I kinda just want to go home.” Today had been nothing short of a disaster. He would find another day to propose.

  
“Okay.” Daichi said. “If that’s what you want.”

  
Suga looked up at him. And it was his open expression, the one saying he would do anything for him, which made Suga’s decision.

  
“One last try?”

  
“One last try.” Daichi said. He grabbed his phone and stood up. “I have something I need to do before we get there. I’ll meet you in 30?”

  
“Okay.” He needed time to prepare himself anyways.

  
“Hey,” Daichi said, exiting the booth. “I’ll see you soon.”

  
Suga sat in the vacated booth for a while, wondering if he had the courage after all.

  
***

  
Now, he sat in their special spot, on this special anniversary, and tried counting breaths. Unbeknownst to him, his thumb traced the outline of his pocket. Biting his lip, he tried to relax by focusing on the reason he sat here.

  
This place, this bench, they had found it together one day when exploring the park. The secluded area provided a sense of togetherness with the environment and the people visible down below. One could observe the beauty from above, but still feel like they contributed to it. No one came to bother them, and they enjoyed the time spent together.

  
They spent many hours watching the world go by, talking long into the day and night. Nothing else existed but their voices and the greenery. Everything else faded away, until they sat alone in their little corner of the universe.

  
The secluded area was one of their many special spots. But Suga wanted to go to this specific one, on this specific day, because it marked the place where everything changed for him.  
On this anniversary and in this place, Suga had realized he was in love.

  
The day began like any other day, and Suga doesn’t even remember half of what happened during it. Yet, he remembers sitting on the bench, watching Daichi talk about his life, the stars twinkling around them, as a single thought crossed his mind.

  
“There’s nothing else I’d rather be doing than spending this moment with you.”

  
It was a simple memory. But one that stayed with him.

  
Now, it would be the day he reaffirmed his commitment to the love he had forged all those years ago. His love had grown deeper and stronger since then, but it was fitting to the cycle to begin the next chapter on a day when it all had first begun.

  
He shifted and waited in silence.

  
The sun glimmered happily, sending its well wishes to the man basking in its rays.

  
Daichi showed up soon after, a small grin to his face. “Have I kept you waiting long?”

  
Suga shook his head. “No. I don’t mind waiting.”

  
Daichi smiled, sitting down on Suga’s right. Then, he looked at the horizon towards the setting sun. “Beautiful, isn’t it?”

  
The light danced between reds and pinks, cascading the world in a kaleidoscope of colors. Falling leaves waved in the air currents and provided a beautiful backdrop to the world. Clouds plumed in the sky, artfully arranging themselves into wondrous pictures. But Suga only had eyes for one thing.

  
“Yeah.”

  
Daichi smiled. “Why did you want to come here?”

  
“No reason.” Suga paused. “It’s just special to me.”

  
“Huh. Me too.”

  
Suga started. “Why?”

  
He paused for a second. Then, he said, “because it’s one of the places where I’ve spent time with you.”

  
Suga huffed a laugh, rolling his eyes. “Then you must have a lot of special places.”

  
“No, not really.” He shrugged. “They all pale in comparison to my favorite one.”

  
“Your favorite one?” Suga asked.

  
Daichi turned to look at him. Gazing into his eyes, he said, “the one where you are.”

  
Suga’s eyes glittered. “You really do love to lay it on thick, huh?”

  
“It’s not my fault. You made me this way.”

  
“Oh?”

  
Daichi looked back at the horizon. “Once, you told me, you wondered if anyone had ever loved you. I asked, ‘no one’s ever told you they loved you?’ And you turned, looked at me and said, ‘they have. No one’s meant it, though.’”

  
“Huh.” Suga said. Averting his eyes, he watched his shuffling feet. “So?”

  
“So, I promised to always be honest about with much I cared for you, in every way I could. Even before I knew how much I loved you, I wanted you to know, and feel loved.”

  
“Oh.”

  
“Yeah.”

  
Suga looked down. “I don’t wonder anymore. I know, now.”

  
A quiet silence stretched between them.

  
“Daichi?”

  
“Yes?”

  
Suga took a big breath. “I know I can be difficult. I know I can be all kinds of crazy, I know I can be fine one minute and a mess the next, and I know it can be hard to deal with. But with you, it feels—easy. No matter the obstacle, no matter how stressed I am, being with you has made it all seem so much easier.” Suga turned to his left to reach into his pocket. “So I was—I was—I was wondering if—”  
He searched his whole pantleg, but nothing came out. He must have left it on the other side. “I was wondering if—”

  
Daichi knelt before him, a soft grey box in his hand.

  
Suga stared.

  
Blinked.

  
Stared some more.

  
_What the fuck._

  
“Did you really forget?” Daichi asked.

  
Slowly, Suga shook his head.

  
“If you had waited a few more weeks, I could have been more prepared.”

  
This restarted Suga’s brain. “I was sick of waiting!”

  
Daichi chuckled. “Yeah, well, it took longer than I thought to get everything together. I mean, with the ring and all, I had to—wait.” He stopped. “Let me do this. I had a thing prepared.”

  
“Oh really?” Suga laughed, his eyes full of unshed tears.

  
“Well, yeah, I mean, it’s not like I was gonna make this up on the fly. If I was going to do this, I needed to plan it out and make sure—off track again.” Daichi sighed. “I really am a mess, aren’t I?”

  
Suga raised his head in laughter, the full-bodied sound coming from deep inside his core. “It’s okay. I like messy.”

  
Daichi reached forward for Suga’s hand. “Koushi. I’ve—I spent lot of time thinking of all the things I could say to you. I could go on endlessly, waxing poetic about how much I loved you or telling you about every way make my life better. And that would be fine, but I do that all the time. I tell you how much I love you every day.” Suga nodded his head. “You reply that I’m a sap, but I know you enjoy it. And, I don’t know every single way you make my life better because my life relies on having you in it. Our morning conversations, our Netflix binges, our take-out nights—you are always there, by my side. You’re a part of my life. So I can only tell you why I want to marry you.”

  
“For so long, I have wanted to say, ‘have you met my husband, Koushi?’” Suga laughed. Daichi continued. “I’ve always wanted to brag about how great you are, how pretty you are, how smart you are, and not that I don’t do that already, but I wanted to do it as your lifelong partner. As someone who shares a name with you. As someone who can build a family with you. As someone bonded to you, for eternity.  
I’ve been looking forward to asking you—the love of my life—to be my husband, for a long time. I had it all planned out—and then—”

  
“And then I came along and ruined your plans?” Suga said.

  
“Well, if you want to put it that way.” Daichi chuckled. “You know, I don’t care if today wasn’t perfect. No day will be, truly. But with you…”

  
Daichi gazed into his eyes.

  
“With you, any disaster is perfect.”

  
Suga smiled, the tears flowing freely.

  
“Koushi, will you marry me?”

  
“Yes.”

  
Daichi smiled, sliding the ring from its box onto his fiancée’s finger. Then he stood, entwining his hands in Suga’s hair, and pulling him into a deep kiss. Their lips traced the pattern of past and present coalescing into a beautiful future.

  
Their silhouettes became one, a darkened shadow all their own, outlasting even the fading rays of sunshine.

***

  
_“I can’t wait to ask you to spend forever with me.”_

  
_He brushed his lover’s hair back, whispering the words in their ear._

  
_“Okay, Daichi,” Suga’s eyes fluttered. “I want udon tomorrow.”_

  
_Daichi laughed. “Okay, love.”_

  
***

  
They entered the restaurant together, rings on both of their left hands. Tsukki was the first to comment.

  
“Will you be giving us a grade boost to celebrate?”

  
Tanaka slapped Daichi’s back. “How the hell did this happen?”

  
“Well,” Daichi sat down at the long table. “I couldn’t find the first aid kit, so I went to our room to look for it. I checked Suga’s dresser and found the box when moving his clothes.”

  
Suga grumbled. “You never check there.”

  
“I had been planning a special proposal for months, but I was waiting on the ring.”

  
“Ooh, let’s see it!”

  
Suga stretched his hand forward to show his friends. The small stone was surrounded by a ribbon of intertwining silver.

  
“The stone is a family heirloom, so it took a while to be set. It was finished the other day, but I thought I had time to get it.” Daichi glared at Suga. “Someone’s impatience caused me to realize I needed to rethink my plans.”

  
Suga stuck out his tongue.

  
“I went this morning to retrieve it, but the store was closed.” Daichi sighed. “Luckily, the owner called me back and said he would open up to let me get the ring.”

  
Tanaka laughed. “Well, that seems like a shitty situation turning into one of opportunity.”

  
“That’s a good way of putting it.” Suga and Daichi smirked.

  
“So how was the proposal?” One of their friends asked.

  
Everyone leaned in close to hear.

  
“It was—“ Daichi said.

  
“He was—“ Suga said.

  
They looked to each other for the answer.

  
“Perfect.”

 

**Author's Note:**

> Hello again! It's been a while! Maybe one of these days I'll actually finish one of the many fics I have in the works, ahha.
> 
> This fic is dedicated to [Dale](https://archiveofourown.org/users/daleygaga/pseuds/daleygaga), as part of the r/haikyuu gift exchange! I hope you enjoyed the fluffy storm I forced on you :) I encourage all of you to read the other artworks and fics made for this exchange!
> 
> Special thanks to [Christie](https://archiveofourown.org/users/kunimi/pseuds/kunimi), as always, for always beta-ing for me. You the MVP!
> 
> Thanks for reading!


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